2017 Chrysler Pacifica: Monthly Update for January 2017

by Travis Langness, Automotive Editor

Where Did We Drive It?
A ski trip over the holidays and a month's worth of commuting duties put our long-term 2017 Chrysler Pacifica over the 10,000-mile mark this month. The Pacifica has been in our fleet for about six months now and we've had the chance to take it near and far, with lots of positive feedback about its versatility and initial quality. This far into the test, though, we are still falling short of the EPA's highway fuel economy estimates and the Pacifica has developed a few squeaks and rattles.

What Kind of Fuel Economy Did It Get?
Despite a 700-mile road trip that included significant time on the highway, our Pacifica returned only 17.2 mpg during the month of January. This brought its lifetime fuel economy rating down from 19 mpg to 18.8 mpg. It's going to take some light-footed driving to get this van anywhere near the EPA's combined rating of 22 mpg by the end of the test.

Logbook HighlightsSometimes we toss the keys to Edmunds colleagues outside of our department to get their perspectives. This month's comments are from a colleague with a growing family who gave the Pacifica an extended test drive.

Technology-Audio
"One favorite part of the car was the quality of the infotainment system. Specifically, the color screen was vibrant and bright, and the fonts were crisp and clean. The only confusing thing is that when you put the system into navigation mode, the maps have a definite change in look and feel, and the crisp and vibrant color is no longer there. Also, the multiple USB charging ports, especially the ones located behind the driver and front passenger seats, were invaluable on a five-hour drive."

Cargo Space
"In regards to the Stow 'n Go seats, I initially thought that this was gimmicky unless I needed to haul a full sheet of plywood (which meant never). Wow, was I wrong, because when I took my family to Mammoth, we had to pack four pairs of skis and a snowboard. Sure, I could have played Tetris and stuck everything in the back, but it was 10 times more convenient to simply stow away the second-row middle seat and comfortably lay down all the gear."

"The storage compartments that the Stow 'n Go seats would normally fold into were great. I ended up putting in my tire chains, a case of Snapple and several ski helmets. Warning: I did notice that these items were warm when I pulled them out, so if you have anything that could melt (e.g. chocolate), this is not a good place for that."

Comfort
"Speaking of the seats, the power-reclining third row was another big hit. It was interesting to see the kids literally fight to be in the third row since they loved the power-recline feature."